Tag: league leader

Chiefs led NFL in unblocked QB pressures during 2023 regular season

The #Chiefs led the NFL in unblocked pressures during the 2023 regular season.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ defensive turnaround in 2023 was as impressive as it was surprising to many fans who grew accustomed to the team’s offense-first approach in the Patrick Mahomes era.

Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo managed to change the narrative around his unit this season, and the Chiefs’ ferocious pass rush played an integral role in making Kansas City’s defense a menacing force in the AFC.

According to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats Twitter page, Spagnuolo’s innovative schemes in 2023 generated the most unblocked quarterback pressures in the league.

While the Jacksonville Jaguars and New England Patriots came close to matching Kansas City’s 73 unblocked pressures, the Chiefs stood atop the NFL’s leaderboard in the category at season’s end.

Hassling opposing quarterbacks always serves to bolster a defense’s firepower in key moments, and Spagnuolo should be expected to continue leveraging his ability to get blitzers clear lanes to the backfield against the Buffalo Bills this weekend.

Trent McDuffie led all cornerbacks in QB pressures during 2023 regular season

#Chiefs CB Trent McDuffie tallied the most QB pressures of anyone at his position during the 2023 regular season.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ defense turned a corner in 2023, and cornerback Trent McDuffie played a huge part in the unit’s resurgence. The second-year defender was a nightmare for opposing receivers in coverage, but another aspect of his game helped lead Kansas City’s identity change in a more subtle way.

According to the Chiefs’ official Twitter account, McDuffie led all cornerbacks in the NFL in quarterback pressures during the regular season.

While most defensive backs don’t make their money as blitzes, McDuffie broke the mold in Kansas City’s 11-win campaign, tallying three sacks in addition to his many pressures.

Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo made an effort to get creative this season, and McDuffie’s involvement in the pass rush paid dividends for a unit that desperately needed to be revitalized.

Fans should expect McDuffie’s prowess as a blitzer to be leveraged in the Chiefs’ game plan for the Wild Card round of the playoffs.

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes ranks fifth in passing yards ahead of regular season finale vs. Chargers

#Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes ranks fifth in passing yards ahead of Kansas City’s regular season finale against the #Chargers in Week 18.

Patrick Mahomes might not be a top candidate for the NFL’s MVP award this season, but his work in the Kansas City Chiefs offense has, nonetheless, been impressive enough to earn him a spot in the league’s top five for passing yards.

The two-time Super Bowl champion amassed 4,183 yards throwing to Chiefs’ pass-catchers in 2023, and with one game left to play, it isn’t out of the question that he could eclipse 4,500 with a dominant performance against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 18.

In the past, numbers like these have been the expectation for the reigning MVP, but given the inconsistency of his receiving corps this season, a top-five showing seems all the more impressive for Mahomes.

In a year that the Chiefs’ offense has been plagued by miscues, unforced errors, and outright lapses in judgment by everyone around him, Mahomes remains a force to be reckoned with for opposing defenses week in and week out.

Chiefs OL Joe Thuney is NFL’s third-best pass blocker since Week 12

Veteran lineman Joe Thuney has been one of the NFL’s best pass blockers since Week 12.

Protecting Patrick Mahomes is the primary function of the Kansas City Chiefs offensive line, and one member of the team’s starters up-front has excelled at keeping the reigning MVP clean in the pocket in recent weeks.

Veteran lineman Joe Thuney has been one of the NFL’s best blockers in pass protection since Week 12, earning an 88.2 grade when pass blocking, which ranks as the third-best mark among all offensive linemen over that stretch.

Thuney’s presence in the middle of Kansas City’s line has been a boon for the Chiefs as the team has clawed its way to a nine-win campaign in 2023 through 14 games. His ability to keep the league’s best pass rushers at bay is an underrated asset for Mahomes and Andy Reid, and while he isn’t often mentioned as one of Kansas City’s star players, Thuney is an indispensable part of the Chiefs’ offensive attack.

Expect the veteran guard to have his hands full against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 16 when Kansas City plays its bitter divisional rival on Christmas day.

Chiefs DL Chris Jones among league leaders in QB pressures since Week 13

#Chiefs DL Chris Jones has been one of the most productive pass rushers in the NFL since Week 13, according to Pro Football Focus.

The Kansas City Chiefs have relied on their defense to win games all season, and star lineman Chris Jones has been a key piece of the unit’s gameplan since he returned from a preseason holdout to rejoin the team in Week 2.

While it took Jones some time to get back up to speed his contributions have been crucial to Kansas City’s defensive success in recent weeks. According to Pro Football Focus, he has racked up 20 quarterback pressures since Week 13, which is tied for the best mark in the NFL among interior defensive linemen during that period.

There remains plenty of work for Jones to do if he intends to put up career-best numbers before the regular season ends in early January. In the 13 games he has played this season, Jones has tallied 7.5 sacks, which puts him in second place on Kansas City’s leaderboard in the category behind second-year pass rusher George Karlaftis.

Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco is NFL’s fifth-leading rusher

#Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco ranks fifth in the NFL for rushing yards after a huge performance against the #Packers in Week 13.

The Kansas City Chiefs offense has taken a step back in 2023 in terms of passing production, but as the team seeks to assemble a more well-rounded attack, running back Isiah Pacheco is helping to reinvent head coach Andy Reid’s strategies.

After putting together a 110-yard rushing performance against the Green Bay Packers in Week 13, Pacheco is the NFL’s fifth-leading rusher.

This remarkable achievement is even more impressive than it may seem on the surface, given Pacheco’s relatively limited role in Reid’s offense. The veteran playcaller has seemed hesitant to stick with the ground game at times in 2023, but after Pacheco’s exceptional performance against Green Bay, things may start to change.

Patrick Mahomes hasn’t quite looked like himself lately, and Kansas City needs a dynamic threat to turn to when the passing game can’t produce. Expect Pacheco to have his number called more often as Reid seeks to fix the Chiefs’ offensive woes before January’s AFC playoffs.

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes has dominated NFL on screen passes since 2018

#Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes has been the most productive passer in the NFL on screen passes since 2018.

Though Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has had a down year in 2023 by his standards, there is one aspect of his game that has remained dominant.

His ability to get the ball out quickly to receivers on screen passes remains unmatched, and according to one Pro Football Focus analyst, his tremendous production on short throws truly sets him apart.

Though touchdowns on screen passes may not be the flashiest way to score, the short passing game is a staple of head coach Andy Reid’s offense and isn’t going away any time soon.

These plays get receivers in space with plenty of room to gain yardage when they cut upfield, and with Mahomes slinging them the ball, Chiefs pass catchers are usually given a cushion when defenders anticipate the reigning MVP’s deep ball.

Expect Mahomes and Reid to get back to the basics and dial up more screen passes in Week 14 when Kansas City takes on the Buffalo Bills.

Chiefs OL Trey Smith has NFL’s longest snap streak without allowing a sack

#Chiefs OL Trey Smith has the NFL’s longest streak of snaps played without allowing a sack.

Protecting Patrick Mahomes is paramount to the Kansas City Chiefs’ success on offense, and one of the team’s linemen has done a particularly outstanding job of keeping the reigning MVP on his feet.
Third-year guard Trey Smith currently holds the NFL’s longest snap streak without allowing a sack.

Smith’s efforts in pass protection have been the stuff of legend among Chiefs fans who remember how Kansas City’s depleted depth up front arguably cost the team a win in Super Bowl LV.
The Chiefs’ investment in the offensive line has helped keep Kansas City’s air attack afloat since 2021 when the team signed veteran guard Joe Thuney and drafted Smith and center Creed Humphrey.
The talented trio on the interior of the Chiefs’ line has become one of the most recognizable groups in the NFL, and with any luck, will continue to keep Mahomes clean in the pocket for years to come.
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Chiefs Trent McDuffie leads NFL DBs in forced fumbles through Week 9

Second-year #Chiefs CB Trent McDuffie leads all NFL defensive backs in forced fumbles through Week 9.

The Kansas City Chiefs have a stud on their hands in defensive back Trent McDuffie. The second-year phenom has played outstanding football to this point in the season and is the NFL’s leader in forced fumbles among defensive backs through Week 9.

His forced fumble that led to an insane touchdown against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday helped lift Kansas City to victory. With eight games left on the Chiefs’ 2023 schedule, McDuffie should be expected to continue showcasing his stellar abilities in the secondary.

Kansas City needed help in the defensive backfield after falling short in its 2021 campaign. General manager Brett Veach used one of the picks he acquired from the Tyreek Hill trade to select McDuffie in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft, and while the Chiefs have an ongoing need for more help at receiver, the cornerback’s standout play has been worth every bit of the investment it took to get him.

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Chiefs have second-most sacks in NFL through Week 9

The #Chiefs’ defense has accumulated the second-most sacks in the NFL through Week 9 of the 2023 season.

The Kansas City Chiefs defense has proven that it is not to be trifled with this season, and as their 2023 campaign wears on, it is becoming evident that they are a particularly special group.

According to the Chiefs’ Senior Team Reporter Matt McMullen, no less than 13 of Kansas City’s defenders have registered half a sack or more through Week 9, and the team’s 31 total sacks are good for the second-best mark in the NFL.

For a team whose identity has mostly revolved around the offense during Andy Reid’s tenure, the resurgence of the defense is a welcome sign for fans who pined for the return of defensive-minded football in Kansas City.

There remains plenty of work to do if the Chiefs intend to defend their Super Bowl title later in the season, but the pieces certainly seem to be in place for a championship-caliber defense to help buoy Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City’s offense in the 2023 playoffs.

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